Software for the Raspberry Pi is quickly moving forward. Beyond the several core Linux distros, another couple dozen systems are available, with NetBSD, FreeBSD, and Chromium imminently stepping into the mix. (Ubuntu will not join them as it requires ARMv7 and the Pi is ARMv6). Two dozen programming languages are available, including Python, Perl, Java, Ruby 1.9.2, BASIC, and more. Since the Pi
is a full fledged ARM computer, it should run nearly any ARM app within its system requirements. See the RPi Wiki or Foundation website for more info.

So how does this closed GPU situation impact you with the boards and devices you play with?

I suppose I should stick with the Raspberry Pi for ARM fun then, and possibly look into the Loongson based solutions for the long term. Either way, I'm slowly weaning myself off of x86. I suppose I'll hold onto my "classic" rig for BeOS/Haiku/Win98 gaming purposes but my main computing devices will one day be devoid of x86 and Windows.